


The Narrow Escape

by ScentedStrangerCreation



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Tropes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-12-16 23:27:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21044537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScentedStrangerCreation/pseuds/ScentedStrangerCreation
Summary: Kaidan and Shepard’s first kiss wasn’t on the Normandy (fake-out, make out). A response to Kaidan Alenko Appreciation week: Trope/Fluff day





	The Narrow Escape

Kaidan wandered aimlessly through the Upper Wards. The Normandy was on shore leave for a few days, and he didn’t know what to do with himself. He’d never admit it out loud, but Joker was right. He didn’t know how to relax. He preferred working. It kept him focused; kept him from thinking too much about her.

At first, he passed it off as idolization, something that would fade with time and experience. He was star-struck. Commander Shepard was a hero, bordering legend. Working beneath her and Captain Anderson was nothing short of an honor. But the feelings never seemed to dull, no matter how much time they spent together. If anything, the more he learned, the more he wanted to know.

_Focus. Focus. Focus. _He forced himself to think about something, anything, else.

_Saren._

Now that was a mess that needed unraveling. He still didn’t fully understand what had happened on Eden Prime, besides the fact that he had endangered both his and Shepard’s lives. Now the council was dragging their feet, and every moment that passed Saren was slipping further away. For the hundredth time, he wondered if they had missed something in their report. He was lost in this thought when he bumped into someone.

“Sorry, ma’am,” Kaidan reached out to steady the woman.

“Not a problem,” the woman waved him off continuing to study her omni-tool.

“Commander?” he hadn’t recognized her in civilian clothes. More than civilian clothes, she was actually wearing a long, formal dress.

She finally looked up, “Alenko?” Her brow immediately relaxed.

“You look…nice.” The words fell from his mouth before he could stop them.

“Thanks.” She laughed a little, dropping her arm, “What are you doing here?”

“Just, uh…” he didn’t really know what to say, so he shrugged his arms.

“Waiting for shore leave to end, huh?”

“Something like that.” He scratched the back of his head, “What about you? Got a date?” he gestured at her dress.

“Something like that.” She smiled and flicked on her omni-tool.

“Is that Saren?”

“Heard this was his bar of choice.” She said, scanning the profile, “Figured I’d stop in.”

“I thought C-Sec was looking into that?”

She scoffed, “C-Sec deals with more red tape than a red tape factory. We don’t have time to sit on our hands.”

“Commander—you can’t just investigate on your own.” he was torn between concern and insubordination.

“Investigate?” She crossed her arms and tilted her head, “I’m just going out for drinks.”

“Shepard, it’s dangerous—,”

“Alenko," she interrupted him with a smile, thankfully ignoring his casual use of her name, "if you want to come, all you have to do is ask.”

He sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair. He did want to go.

She nodded towards the bar, a sly smirk spreading across her face, “Come on, it’ll be fun.”

* * *

“Our ideas of fun are very different.” Kaidan shouted above the gunfire.

She laughed, and he felt his heart jump into his throat at the sound.

“If we survive, I’ll take you out for actual drinks, I promise.”

“If?” he asked.

“I’m a realist.” she leaned out from behind the wall, firing two more shots before her clip emptied, “Shit, I’m out.”

“Me too.” he holstered his gun.

“Come on,” she nodded to the left, and they quickly made their way down the alley and out the other side.

They quietly sprinted from shadow to shadow through the district. Kaidan was about to cross another open area when Shepard yanked him back, holding a finger to her lips.

“Where’d they go?” A voice crackled over a nearby radio, “I lost ‘em.”

“What’d they look like?” A man’s voice asked. He couldn’t have been more than steps away.

“I don't know, a man in a jacket, and uh, someone else."

"That's all you got?"

"It was dark, I didn’t get a good look.” she protested.

“You idiot.”

“Fuck you,” the woman on the radio responded, “tell ya what, if two people start shooting at you, shoot back.”

“Real sage advice, asshole.”

They were seconds from discovery with nowhere to go. The street was a dead-end, and they were out of ammo. Shepard tugged at Kaidan’s jacket. He shrugged it off, looking confused as she slipped it over her shoulders and freed her hair from its bun.

She was suddenly pressed against him, close enough that he could feel her breath on his neck, "Apologies in advance," she whispered. 

“Wha—,” the question died on his lips as Shepard’s mouth met his.

He closed his eyes, eagerly compiling as she sat back on a crate and pulled him closer. Anything to keep her lips against his. Her knees dug into his sides as her legs spread around him, and her arms tangled in his hair. He forgot about everything else, falling deeper into the kiss. One hand slid up the warm skin of her exposed thigh and the other behind her neck. She opened her mouth as he tipped her head back, and he glided his tongue slowly along hers. It was like he had spent his entire life drowning, and her lips were oxygen. He couldn’t think, couldn’t get enough.

Distantly, he heard the man come to a stop just around the corner of the street, “Ugh—,” he made an irritated sound as he walked away.

“See something?” the radio crackled.

“Nothing. Clear over here,” he retreated.

Shepard pulled back slightly, watching just over his shoulder as the man disappeared down the dark street. Kaidan couldn’t pull his attention away from her lips or the smeared lipstick around her mouth. He closed his eyes tightly, desperately hoping she couldn’t feel how heavily his heart pounded in his chest.

“Looks like he’s gone.” She finally spoke, her voice quiet. Later, he would wonder if the breathless tone was due to the narrow escape or the kiss.

“I, um—,” she cleared her throat, “Alenko?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re still—,” she didn’t have to finish the sentence before he dropped his hands from her body, stepping back and allowing her to stand.

She straightened out her disheveled dress, “I’m sorry about that. I—uh, hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable.” She gestured between them, “The whole, um—.”

He wasn’t sure he had ever seen the Commander so uncertain.

“No, I wasn’t—I’m not…” He said quickly before clearing his throat, “it was—it was kind of…nice...ma'am.” He cringed. _Ma'am? _

She raised an amused brow as he continued to stammer, “Not kind of, very. It was…very—.”

She held up a hand to stop him, releasing a small, surprised laugh. “It’s okay Lieutenant, this won’t be on the exam.”

He thought he saw her cheeks reddening, but couldn't quite tell in the dark. Hopefully that meant she couldn't see the red creeping up his own neck and face.

“Well, I’d say we got what we needed.” She gestured to her omni-tool, “Sorry I hijacked your shore leave.”

“Any time.”

They stood in silence, closer and longer than was necessary.

“Well, I should—go.” She backed away, “Anderson will want to see this.”

“Right,” he straightened up, “Uh, good luck. See you…see you on the ship.”

He watched her leave. So much for keeping his mind off Shepard.

* * *

Kaidan wandered aimlessly around the Wards a while longer, full of a restless energy he couldn't seem to shake. He was actually in a good mood until he got back to the ship.

“Lt!” Ashley called out to him, waving him over to where she sat with Joker. “We were just play—” she stopped mid sentence, “Where have _you_ been?” a mischievous look spread across her face as she sat back, crossing her arms.

“So scandalous, Lieutenant.” Joker teased, shuffling a deck of cards.

Kaidan must have looked confused because Ashley mercifully gestured around her mouth. _The lipstick_. He squeezed his eyes shut as though it might help him disappear, but when he closed his eyes all he could see was Shepard. He could practically still feel her against him, her breath warm on his skin. In that moment, he decided he didn’t care how he looked at all.

“Laugh all you want.” he turned around, “I’m going to sleep.”

“Oh come on, Lt!” Ashley turned around in her seat, “We’re just messing with you, come tell us about your lady love.” she said the last part in a sing song voice.

“Yeah, how much did she cost?” Joker added, holding up a hand for a high five that Ashley ignored.

Kaidan waved them off, ignoring their laughter as he made his way down the hall. The conference door hissed open as he passed. Anderson emerged, face buried in a data pad.

Kaidan stopped immediately in salute, “Captain.” he waited for Anderson to pass.

The captain looked up briefly before returning his attention to whatever he was holding, “At ease.” he continued reading as he walked into the elevator across the hall.

Kaidan dropped his arm. 

He was about to walk away when Anderson spoke again, “You know Lieutenant, I had no idea you and the Commander wore the same lipstick.”

“I...uh—,” Kaidan stammered lamely as the elevator door slid shut.

He could have sworn he saw a small smile twitch across the Captain’s face before he disappeared, but he’d never ask.

Kaidan beelined for the bathroom, washing all traces of lipstick from his face before returning to his bunk. As he approached his bed, he saw his jacket, neatly folded on his pillow with a note on top.

_Thanks for the help tonight. I owe you a drink. -J _

That night he slept more soundly than he had in months.


End file.
